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Growing up we have all heard the saying: “It’s mind over matter” , but I wonder just how many of us really gave it any thought.

By definition Mind over matter is —used to describe a situation in which someone is able to control a physical condition, problem, etc., by using the mind. Many of us have found that when we push ourselves, we can continue to move forward.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it come to the power of the mind. God gave us a very powerful brain, it can heal itself if we pay attention to and listen to our bodies. Using the power of our minds we can make pain something tollerable and use it to make our lives better. After my injuries in Vietnam, I had to learn how to use most of my body again. With a shattered elbow and shoulder along with traumatic head injuries, I was in a world of pain. The Marine Corp taught us how to put pain behind us to continue the mission, but they never taught us how to use our mind to help recover from our injuries.

After I was released I decided to take up a form of martial arts to make the rest of my body stronger to makeup for what I lost on my right side. As I explained this to the instructor, he sat back and smiled saying God will restore your body and mind, you just have to be patient. Over the next few years and with lots of work, my strength was restored to my right side and my brain was in pretty good repair also.

Then I met a very old and wise man who was introduced to me as Master Kim. He took me under his wing and taught me how to use the power of the mind to center the strength of the body to any one point in the body. With this I learned to pinpoint all my energy or force in a concentrated area. I then went on to earn my black belts in Japanese and Korean karate along with Judo. From there He introduced me to the world of Zen. Zen is a way of life, where you absorb the world around you, interacting only as needed to stay on your guided path. You become more aware of your surroundings while staying centered on the task at hand. Your mind sees, your body acts.

Over the next several years I completed my studies of Zen and eventually became a Zen Master myself. The body and the mind work as the heavens and earth do. We are children of God and He is our guiding light. As we follow His lead we grow in our life, when we falter, He is there to guide us back. I find peace in knowing He is always watching over my path and lighting my way in life.

Two eyes, two ears and one mouth! God did this for a very good reason, we see and we hear, then we share. Listen more, see all and talk less.

Dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor. When further cooled, the airborne water vapor will condense to form liquid water (dew). When air cools to its dew point through contact with a surface that is colder than the air, water will condense on the surface.

Humidity is the amount of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor is the gaseous state of water and is invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood of precipitation, dew, or fog. Higher humidity reduces the effectiveness of sweating in cooling the body by reducing the rate of evaporation of moisture from the skin.

Point of interest: At any moment, the atmosphere contains an astounding 37.5 million billion gallons of water, in the invisible vapor phase. This is enough water to cover the entire surface of the Earth (land and ocean) with one inch of rain.

Water vapor is also the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Heat radiated from Earth’s surface is absorbed by water vapor molecules in the lower atmosphere. The water vapor molecules, in turn, radiate heat in all directions.
Sometime we complain about how muggy our air is without realizing just how important the humidity really is.

This summer has had many days of hot and sticky weather. You may have checked on the humidity, only to find it was at a meager 50%. How could the humidity be so low, when it feels so high? The answer: dew point!

Dew point is the temperature at which water vapor in the air condenses into liquid water, such as in the form of dew, fog, or possibly rain. The dew point is always lower or equal to the air temperature, hence why dew or fog often occurs during the early morning hours, when the air temperatures are typically lowest and the dew point highest.

On the other hand, the relative humidity is the ratio between the amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature to the maximum amount of water vapor possible in the air at that temperature. The relative humidity is not an exact ratio between the current air temperature and dew point!

For example, a 95°F day may only have a relative humidity of 45%, but it still feels incredibly hot and humid. Instead of checking the humidity on such days, one should focus on the dew point and the resulting heat index to determine how sticky it will feel outside. The heat index utilizes temperature and dew point (or relative humidity) to determine how hot the body perceives the environment. Because the body cools down through the evaporation of sweat, moist air will not allow evaporation as readily as dry air. So, in turn, the body will feel hotter on days with higher dew point values. In general, a dew point of 60 – 63°F begins to “feel” more humid and a dew point of 70°F or higher becomes rather oppressive on a summer day.

Most people have a tough time understanding the difference between the “meaning” of RH (relative humidity) and dew point. Meteorologists have the challenge of explaining these concepts to the general public and generally do a poor job of it.

We have a good grasp on how the weather makes us feel. One approach to explaining dew point would be to say, dew points above 65 F make it feel sticky and humid outside while dew points less than 65 F are comfortable with respect to the stickiness of the air. The higher the dew point is, the more moisture that is in the air. The higher the dew point is above 65 F, the stickier it will feel outside (feels like you have to breathe in a bunch of moisture with each breath). 75 F or above dew point, the air really feels sticky and humid.

RH can be more difficult to explain. We pretty much understand that a RH of 100% means it is foggy, very wet, or saturated outside. One misconception people have is that the RH is 100% only when it is raining. Example 1: The RH is often 100% in the early morning hours when temperature has dropped to dew point. Example 2: When rain first begins, it takes time for the air to saturate. RH is often much less than 100% when it is raining (it takes time and lots of evaporation to saturate air that previously has a RH of 50% for example).

RH can be explained as the “closeness the air is the saturation”. When the RH is less than 40%, it feels dry outside, and when the RH is greater than 80% it feels moist outside (dew point will determine if it is uncomfortably moist or just regularly moist). Between 40 and 80% RH is comfortable if the temperature is also comfortable.

The worst combination for human comfort is a high dew point (65 F or above) combined with a high RH. If the dew point is above 65, it will generally always feel uncomfortably humid outside. Obviously, the temperature could climb to over 100 and result in a low RH, but the quantity of moisture in the air is still high and will be noticed.

The optimum combination for human comfort is a dew point of about 60 F and a RH of between 50 and 70% (this would put the temperature at about 75 F). The air feels dry outside when BOTH the dew point is below 60 F AND the RH is less than 40%.

Now the dilemma, how do we differentiate the “meaning” between a high dew point and a high RH when they both indicate the air is humid??? Dew point is related to the quantity of moisture in the air while relative humidity is related to how close the air is to saturation. How we understand this difference in meaning can be a challenge. The challenge can be overcome by describing how the weather feels and relate that information to the current dew point and relative humidity.

I hope this makes it a bit easier to understand. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

It is interesting how our definition of fun changes over the years. I remember Grandfather once telling me that fun is what you define it to be and that definition will change as you grow up.

When I was just a toddler on the reservation fun was just about anything that involved being outdoors running and playing. The ultimate fun was hiking the canyon, fishing and floating down the Colorado river on a warm summer day.

As I grew older, fun changed to reading while laying out in the backyard soaking up the sun and nature. My early teen years were consumed with studying nature’s wonders through the critters and insects living in the gardens I weeded for the neighbors and the birds that found unusual nesting places around the area. I learned a lot about life and living in the quiet underworld of nature during that phase of my life.

As I turned older funs definition changed to include reaching out to help others. I found fun in the little things I could do to help the neighbors with their chores and activities around the yard. My happiness came from pushing that little lawn mower around my elelderly neighbors yard and the smile it brought to their faces when their grass was mowed, and gardens were weeded. Afterwards we would sit out in the backyard with a tall glass of lemonade and enjoy the sounds of the song birds singing to their young.

Funs definition certainly has changed for me over the years, just as Grandfather promisied. Today I find fun in the simple things in life. I still reach out to others with a helping hand and am always ready to step in and lift the heavy load off their shoulders. To me, the ultimate fun is sharing God’s love with others through words, deeds and song. I am most happy when I sing an old gospel hymn to someone and see the joy that comes into their eyes as the words work through their hearts.

Yes, fun does change as we grow older and the value of life changes with it. I still love the quiet life of nature and continue to study the critters of our world, but sharing His love and grace has become the number one goal in my life. Its the little things that bring a smile to someones day. To me this is fun!

What about you, how do you define Fun? Have you noticed how it has changed over the years? Please comment and let me know.

46 years ago I wrote Life’s Handbook, a series of thoughts I found to relate to how we ma.age our life. One thought has filled my mind lately, mainly because people just don’t understand just how they got in the predicament they currently face.

“You are the sum total of your thoughts at any point in time.”

It sort of points to who you are at that point in your life, however let’s dig a little deeper into this thought. You are the result of every decision you make.in your life, good or bad.

Choices are dangerous for they follow you everywhere you go for the rest of your life. Freewill is a gift from God, but He didn’t tell you that you will have to answer for the choices you make. Life is full of choices and you have the power to make those choices either the basket for your life or sometimes the detriment of jumping without thinking about the consequences of your decision.

As a Christian, I have God on my side, but He does not make me choices for me. He does offer guidance, if I am willing to listen to what He has to say. I have learned to trust God for every action I take or choice I make. He has never failed me and has promised to always be there for me.

So, where are you in Life? Are you happy with the choices you made and the life you have built? If not, put your trust in God and learn to listen to His guidance. You can rebuild your life and make it into something you can be happy with. Learn to love life and love others as He has loved you.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains– where does my help come from? Psalms 121:1

This is my favorite verse in the Bible as it reminds me I can do nothing without Him. I am constantly amazed in today’s world by how people forget where they come from or where they are going.

We live in a world where people spend a vast majority of their time with their eye on the computer screen, the iPad or the telephone. Our world has been reduced to the images and text displayed on the screen in front our faces.

I think we need to relearn just how much we rely on God in our daily life. I generally start my day with a quiet conversation with Him before I do my daily posts. I then go outdoors and do a top down observation of the wonders He has presented for the day. I notice the life all around me from the birds flying in the sky to the beetles crawling on the ground. I watch the leaves as they ruffle in the gentle breeze He provides. I smell the newness of the day in the fragrances of the flowers and grass. Then I look up and thank God for giving me another glorious day.

I would like to remind everyone to go out and look up! Then thank God for all He gives you everyday.

One song can spark a moment,One flower can wake the dream.One tree can start a forest,One bird can herald spring.One smile begins a friendship,One handclasp lifts a soul.One star can guide a ship at sea,One word can frame the goal.One vote can change a nation,One sunbeam lights a room.One candle wipes out darkness,One laugh will conquer gloom.One step must start each journey,One word must start each prayer.One hope will raise our spirits,One touch can show you care.One voice can speak with wisdom,One heart can know what’s true.One life can make the difference,And may that one be you, and me.

A friend of mine recently asked if I set spiritual goals and how did I measure them. I answered as follows:

Yes, I set spiritual goals! The only way I know how to measure them is by the peace I am given in my heart and soul, the more peace and contentment the more I am achieving my goal. I don’t know if this is what you are asking, but that is what works for me.

Reply from Larry:

I’m not sure how I make that work for me, Ed. What makes it difficult to me is that it all comes down to a relationship and I don’t know how to set goals and measure those.

Me:

Are you saying you are not sure of your relationship with God? There are no ways that I know of to measure the quality of a relationship, so how can you set goals? A relationship with God is so personal, only you can judge how well you are doing. Doing God`s will to the best of your ability, and you know if you are doing your best.

Larry:

No, I’m just saying I would love some metrics that told me what I was doing was doing some good.

So how do we know if we are doing some good, especially when it comes to God? How do I make good decisions? What does God really want from me? Does God care about every little choice I make?

The big question behind all of these questions, of course, is this: What’s God’s will for my life? Do my decisions really matter to God?

God cares about what’s going on in our hearts. In any decision we have the opportunity to choose who we will worship. Will we worship God or will we worship ourselves? God desires to be the highest priority in every part of our lives.

In some areas of life it’s clear that there are right decisions and wrong decisions—like the choice of whether to do something we know is wrong. In other areas, we need to make choices between two good things—like making a decision between two great books. It’s quite possible God would be present in and honored by either decision. Other times the choice may have to do with a gray area—something that’s not necessarily right or wrong. These are opportunities to practice wisdom. For example, spending a lot of time talking on the phone or texting friends may be a good thing. But if there’s never any time when we are just quiet and still, it can be harder for us to be aware of God’s presence. Being wise might mean turning the phone off from time to time to quiet your heart so you can be more attentive to the presence of God in everyday life.

Sometimes when we make decisions, it can seem like we’re trying to work God into our life story. But really, we are part of God’s story and God is delighted by our desire to live with that focus in mind.

How do I discover God’s will? First, you have to make sure you’re seeking to obey what God has already revealed in Scripture. This includes things like obeying your parents. That’s a clear instruction from God. It doesn’t really work to ignore God’s revealed will but yet expect God to answer specific questions like where you should go to dinner.

As you study God’s Word and spend time in prayer, your relationship with God grows and you begin to understand God’s character. You will then be in the right place to hear God’s instruction for other areas of your life. In addition to Bible study and prayer, be willing to seek godly counsel from a mentor or pastor.

If we’re serious about following God’s will, we have to recognize that it’s not about getting what we want, but doing what God asks. We must trust that He is faithful and good, and that His will is what’s best for us.

Will God ask me to do stuff I don’t want to do? God may call us to do things that don’t feel natural to us at first. But as we listen and respond to the call of God, we get connected to our deeper desires. After all, the things God calls us to do are things that he created us to do. Many of us have habits that we find comfortable or that we enjoy. In the long run, though, those things may not meet our deeper spiritual needs. For example, we may have a habit of seeking acceptance by conforming, following the crowd. This is easy and can make us feel like we are accepted, but actually this habit can prevent us from being who we really are meant to be. It’s scary to take the risk of letting your true self be known, but God calls us to do that.

What if I miss God’s will? Making a poor decision doesn’t mean we’re forever out of God’s will. That’s part of the beauty of Scripture: It has story after story of people who make bad decisions, but God still uses them mightily. Just look at Abraham and David. They both did some things that were clearly wrong, but God worked through them to accomplish great things. God can use all of our decisions, whether they’re right, wrong, or neutral.

We need to remember God is our Father. God is not here to condemn us, but to help us become more like Christ. If we are focused on Jesus, and on holiness, some of those other things will fall into place. God is not a cosmic trickster who only gives us one shot to get things right.

In summary I feel the Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect you. As long as I am covered by the Grace of God I feel comfortable going where ever He guides me. Do I expect He will give me feedback? He gives me daily feedback through our daily conversations and when I do stray off the path, He always guides me back. The key is LISTENING when He is talking to you.

What do you think? Are you getting the feedback you need from God? Is there any way I can help with your goals?